Marape clears air on functional grants distribution

THE Members of Parliament in the Opposition are not the only ones missing out on what is due to their areas in functional grants as some Government MPs were in the same situation, Finance Minister James Marape says.
He said the issue was with the late disbursement of the funds that was causing the delay. “We have a number of MPs in the Government faction who are coming to the Finance Department for their remaining provincial services improvement programme (PSIP) and district services improvement programme (DSIP) funds,” Marape said.
“Grand Chief Sir Peter Ipatas was here too today to check up on his 2018 K3 million (outstanding) PSIP funds.
“We have systems here and it is that part of system that filters some of the monies that are coming in, thus makes it that some receive it early while some receive it very late.”
Marape said Enga was yet to receive its K3 million PSIP of 2018 and likewise himself, who also had K2 million of 2018 DSIP coming but those were still in the processes of finalisation.
“Therefore, our friends from the Opposition have to understand and be silent while we are working on the processes to clear those out and have them released,” he said.
“We do come late but we do catch up with our processes and systems to get the funds out.”
Marape was speaking during the opening of a new cash office by the Finance Department at Vulupindi Haus in Port Moresby yesterday.